Fancy some free Bollywood?

As part of the City of Melbourne’s “100 Ways to Move” program, Melburnians get an opportunity to channel their inner film-star!

Bollywood dancing is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the Indian film culture while getting some extra exercise and, thanks to Shebeen in Manchester Lane, you can try it for free!

Bollywood, or the Hindi-language film industry, was born in Mumbai with its name coming from a combination of “Bombay” (now known as Mumbai) and “Hollywood”. Dating back to the early 1900s, the style is well known for its sumptuous and brightly-coloured productions.

The hand movements or “hasts” used in Bollywood dancing not only contribute to the beautiful choreography seen in the solo and group dancing in films, their meanings are also used as a form of sign language.

So if you’d like to strut your best “Half Moon”, “Peacock” or “Peak of the Mountain” for free, get down to Shebeen at 36 Manchester Lane at 12.20pm on Thursday, March 5.

Eat your way to health

We normally think of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival being about indulgence and gluttony – a far cry from health and wellbeing.

However, you can do your bit to help the health of over 260,000 Victorians with diabetes by attending the Diabetes Australia (Vic) Breakfast Around the Tan on Sunday, March 15.

With a genius day planned, combining beautiful food with gentle exercise, you can join to indulge yourself with a stroll around the Tan, enjoying five stops on the way where you’ll be greeted by culinary delights. Of course, there will be a focus on healthy and nutritious food to kick-start your day.

In addition to the walk, all-ages activities will be held at both the start and the end of the walk such as yoga and lifestyle sessions.

See melbournefoodandwine.com.au for further details.

Time to Walk the Block

Looking for a happier, healthier workplace? That’s what Victoria Walks is hoping to see with its “Walk the Block” day being held on Thursday, March 19. The idea is to get Victorian workers away from their desks and on their feet, because just 15 minutes per day makes all the difference.

Most of us in the CBD work in a predominantly desk-based job and recent research shows that failing to engage in adequate physical activity can reduce our life expectancy. Victoria Walks has also introduced a few scary stats including:

40 per cent of Victorian workers are at high or very high risk of developing type II diabetes; and

Productivity can increase by up to 52 per cent for employers who actively encourage physical exercise.

So all you need to do is jump on Victoria Walks’ website (www.victoriawalks.org.au/walktheblock), register your work place’s Walk the Block plans and use its downloadable posters to promote this walk amongst your workplace. Share your experience with the hash tag #walktheblock.